The invention relates to a pill dispensing assembly. For people who are required to take pills every day, especially a variety of pills, it is highly desirable to have the pills mounted in a simple and convenient manner in a readily accessible location so that easy access can be gained to the pills. Additionally, it is desirable to provide such an assembly with readily utilizable indicia means for indicating when the last pill was taken, or when the next pill is to be taken, so that the individual utilizing the assembly can be confident that the pill has been taken, or when it should be taken. Such an assembly also should be inexpensive to make, and be readily constructed with common materials.
According to the present invention, a pill dispensing assembly is provided which is simple and easy to make, provides for convenient positioning of a plurality of pill containers, and provides simple indicia means associated therewith. In particular, the pill dispensing assembly according to the present invention comprises:
means for supporting a plurality of pill containers, including a plate having a plurality of apertures therein corresponding to the number of pill containers to be supported thereby;
indicating means operatively associated with the plate, and advancing means for advancing the indicating means so that a desired indicia is visible;
means for supporting the indicating and advancing means adjacent the plate; and
means for supporting the plate in a generally horizontally extending position so that the pill containers supported thereby extend generally downwardly through the apertures formed in the plate. Desirably, a cover is provided common to all of the apertures formed in the plate for covering all of the pill containers at the same time, the cover preferably comprising a second plate mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the pill container supporting plate, and pivotal about an axis generally parallel to a plane containing the pill container supporting plate.
Means are also provided for supporting lids removed from the pill container supported by the plate, in a readily accessible position in close proximity to the plate, the lid supporting means comprising a cup member supported by the plate supporting means adjacent the plate and extending generally parallel to the plate. A common supporting means preferably is provided for the pill container supporting plate, indicating means, and cup-shape member, such common support including an elongated rod extending generally perpendicular to the plane of said plate, and having a keyed passageway formed therein for cooperation with a key extending from a wall bracket to mount the entire assembly on a wall.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and convenient assembly for mounting a plurality of pill containers. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the apended claims.